STUDY TOUR ON ECONOMIC EDUCATION

TO THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

  

JULY 23 – AUGUST 5, 2008

Become more knowledgeable about the NCEE network and EconomicsInternational program activities;

Better understand through contact with teachers, learners/students, administrators, and education leaders the evolution of the teaching of

economics in South Africa;

Gain an understanding of how economic education is delivered in South Africa and become familiar with education reforms related to teacher training,

standards development, curriculum development, and assessment;

Expand your knowledge about the economic, political, historical, and social conditions in South Africa in order to better understand the achievements made

and the challenges facing economic educators;

NCEE Study Tour Objectives

Share with South African NCEE-trained trainers, classroom teachers, K-12 learners/students, and other leaders background on economic education in the United States and your experience teaching economics

Compare, contrast, and reflect on the similarities and differences between economic education delivery in the Republic of South Africa and the United States;

Enhance your own capacity to teach economics;

Gain exposure to participation of various sectors of society in the delivery of economic education in South Africa.

NCEE Study Tour Objectives(continued)

Essential Questions

What is the NCEE network and EconomicsInternational program?How has economic education evolved in South Africa?How is economic education delivered in South Africa?

What are the economic, political, historical, and social conditionsthat effect the South African economic system?

What challenges do economic educators face in SA?What are my experiences with teaching economic education in the USA?

What are the similarities/ differences in teaching economics in SA and USA?How will the study group experience helped me to teach economics?

How do various sectors of society participate in the delivery of economic education in South Africa?

What are the NCEE network

and EconomicsInternational

program?

The Council for Economic Education (The Council) offers many programs promoting economic literacy in the United States and across the globe.

EconomicsInternational® , , which is supported primarily by the U.S. Department of Education, provides educational assistance to teachers in societies in transition to market economies. Council for Economic Education also brings back insights to help teach American students valuable lessons about the global economy.

STUDY TOUR ON ECONOMIC EDUCATIONTO THE

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

How has economic education evolved in South Africa?

Education was viewed as part of the overall apartheid system.

Previously, there was no economic education in the lower class. Racial division of labor equated economic education with the elite class.

The South African national curriculum now mandates that economic education is taught in all R-9 grades (K-8 USA).

50% of the R-9 core curriculum contains economics.

Although today’s government is working to rectify imbalances in education, the apartheid legacy remains. The challenges lie in the poorer, rural provinces like the Eastern Cape and KwaZuluNatal.

Example of a rural, impoverished, school

Affluent, private school.

Students at an affluent, private school.

How is economic education delivered

in South Africa?